The Wall of Positive Noise officially cracks.
The Wall of Positive Noise has long been a World Surf League staple since its very first days as an organization in 2015 circa 1976. The fledgling “Global Home of Surfing” and its first brave leader, Paul Speaker, was entirely sunny about each and every aspect of its future. Surfing would soon be bigger than the National Football League.
Bigger than The Beatles.
Each subsequent Chief Executive carried the ultra-happy torch. Not a negative word was allowed to pass from the mouths, or fingers, of any WSL employees. Nothing in any shade of grey.
One decade circa five decades on, the League seems to be staggering under the haunting of its penultimate CEO Erik Logan. The Oklahoman with a magical wetsuit of armor burst onto the scene as President of the WSL Studios by way of Oprah Winfrey and quickly did such a poor job that the whole enterprise was shuttered and he was kicked upstairs to the big desk. There Logan sat, making Instagrams of himself, printing t-shirts of torsos and sucking the breath from professional surfers faces until he was viciously fired with the curtest statement ever.
“Erik Logan is no longer with the company.”
Except he is. That oleaginous ghost haunting, turning the Lexus Pipe Pro forecast to such garbage that the Wall of Positive Noise, itself, is seeing damage.
In an overnight message, the World Surf League shared, “With Wednesday, Feb 5 looking like a potential Finals Day, the plan is to run for three straight days starting Monday Feb. 3. But its the ocean so check back for tomorrow’s call at 7:45.”
Never, not once, in the past decade or five has the WSL delivered such a grumpy, grouchy, hopeless memo. A true bummer certain to dump cold water on even the hottest of surf fans.
“But it’s the ocean.”
So bleak.
But what sort of exorcism would the World Surf League need to do in order to chase the smarmy specter away?
I would imagine any thoughts welcome.
Update: Off for today putting dreamed about Wednesday Finals Day in jeopardy.